Police cars and taxis in the UK will be among nearly 200 new hydrogen powered vehicles supported by a new £8.8-million (US$12.2-million) award from the Department for Transport to improve access to hydrogen refueling stations nationwide and to increase the number of hydrogen cars on the roads from this summer.

The funded project is run by a consortium managed by Element Energy and includes expertise from ITM Power, Shell, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai. It will capitalize on the reliable mileage of established fleets and see vehicles being procured by emergency services such as the Metropolitan Police, as well as Green Tomato Cars and Europcar to support the growth of refuelling infrastructure for hydrogen vehicles.

The £8.8-million grant will be matched by a further £13.1 million (US$18.2 million) investment including support from the companies and other sources. The project will involve the procurement of new vehicles, construction of new stations and upgrades to existing stations.